Kevin, using your line of reasoning, tobacco has never caused a death due to overdose or adverse drug reaction, and therefore it should be readily available. And yet, tobacco is the leading cause of death and illness in our country. Marijuana, as you say, has not caused an overdose death or known drug reaction; but that doesn't mean that it isn't deadly. Drivers intoxicated with marijuana have a likelihood of being in a car crash that is multiple times that of those who do not use marijuana. Such drivers often die. So I suppose you'll say: marijuana doesn't kill, cars do. Wrong.

Wrong Jpicard, tobacco has caused deaths due to overdose. Source: Saxena K, Scheman A (December 1985). "Suicide plan by nicotine poisoning: a review of nicotine toxicity". Vet Hum Toxicol 27 (6): 495–7. PMID 4082460.

Convince me that outlawing tobacco would stop people from using it. You may use alcohol prohibition or any other type of prohibition as an example, if you wish.
Please show peer reviewed statistics on how many Americans died last year from marijuana related crashes where the 1) THC levels in the drivers blood were known, 2) THC was the only drug found, and 3) unsafe driving preceded the accident.

I would like you to provide evidence that marijuana prohibition reduces supply or demand.

Past month marijuana users in the U.S. have increased slightly from 5.8% in 1988 to 6.6% in 2009 (Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive), despite the war on drugs spending increasing from $9.7 billion in 1990 to $15 billion in 2010 (Source: ONDCP fact sheet 172873).

@JPicard, Alcohol (United States) is a factor in the following:

* 73% of all felonies * 73% of child beating cases * 41% of rape cases * 80% of wife battering cases * 72% of stabbings * 83% of homicides.

According to the Australian National Drug Research Institute (2003): "Tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs are prematurely killing around seven million people worldwide each year, and robbing tens of millions more of a healthy life. The research into the global burden of disease attributable to alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs found that in 2000, tobacco use was responsible for 4.9 million deaths worldwide, equating to 71 percent of all drug-related deaths. Around 1.8 million deaths were attributable to the use of alcohol (26 percent of all drug-related deaths), and illicit drugs (heroin, cocaine and amphetamines) caused approximately 223,000 deaths (3 percent of all drug-related deaths)."

According to DrugRehabs.Org, national mortality figures for 2009 were: tobacco 435,000; poor diet and physical inactivity 365,000; alcohol 85,000; microbial agents 75,000; toxic agents 55,000; motor vehicle crashes 26,347; adverse reactions to prescription drugs 32,000; suicide 30,622; incidents involving firearms 29,000; homicide 20,308; sexual behaviors 20,000; all illicit drug use, direct and indirect 17,000; and marijuana 0.

"Driving while impaired should result in the same punishment as DUI (loss of license, etc)"

I agree with that, but there is no conclusive evidence equating marijuana use with risk of increased accidents. For every study saying marijuana impairs driving, there are two claiming it doesn't.

Why would anyone assume that people would not be responsible for their actions, if it is legalized? Legalization with Regulation does not equate to anarchy, which is the lie Prohibitionists are clinging to.

Quoting Fiscal Conservative: " Kevin: Your quote" "We all know that the "synthetic marijuana" invented by NIDA (drugabuse.gov) has been a disaster. "Synthetic marijuana", or JWH-019, is the heart attack inducing drug currently sold at convenience stores and truck stops". is false. I didn't know it. "

"is false"? I didn't make this up. A simple google search will turn up the truth: " But many may be surprised to learn that some of the most commonly used formulas for fake pot were created by an American professor conducting research for the National Institute on Drug Abuse". Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/07/clemson_university_professor_c.html

To each their own....but one should have the right to choose......Alcohol has done much more harm on this earth than weed has...

@Fiscal Conservative, you appear to be neither conservative nor fiscally responsible.

Your brand of Fake-conservatism has much in common with socialism. Authoritarian-socialists and fake-conservatives appear to harbor the belief that nature does not exist and that any human can be "re-educated" into being anything society wishes. Leftists therefore tend to believe that little boys can be conditioned into preferring dolls over toy soldiers, and similarly, fake-conservatives believe that adults can be coerced into choosing alcohol over marijuana. A true conservative, just like a pragmatic libertarian, would immediately reject both ideas as nonsense.

If you support prohibition then you are NOT a conservative.
Conservative principles quite clearly are:

1) Limited, locally controlled government.
2) Individual liberty coupled with personal responsibility.
3) Free enterprise.
4) A strong national defense.
5) Fiscal responsibility.

Prohibition is actually an authoritarian war on our economy and Constitution.

@[FAKE]Fiscal Conservative, It's all about market and cost/benefit analysis. Whether any particular drug is good, bad, or otherwise is irrelevant - as long as there is demand for any mind altering substance there WILL be supply; THE END! The only affect prohibiting it has is to drive the price up while increasing the costs and profits - and where there is illegal profit to be made criminals and terrorists thrive.

The cost of criminalizing citizens who are using substances similar but no more harmful than those that are perfectly legal—like alcohol and tobacco, is not only hypocritical and futile, but also simply not worth the incredible suffering and damage it causes.

Afghani farmers produce approx. 93% of the world's opium which is then refined into street heroin and smuggled throughout Eastern and Western Europe.

Both the Taliban and the terrorists of al Qaeda derive their main income from the prohibition-inflated value of this very easily grown crop. The coca plant experiences a similar transformation and traject. This means that Prohibition is the "Goose that laid the golden egg" and the lifeblood of terrorists as well as drug cartels everywhere. Only those opposed, or willing to ignore this fact, want things the way they are.

A GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF NARCOTICS-FUNDED TERRORIST GROUPS
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/NarcsFundedTerrs_Extrems.pdf

Malcolm: I am so Conservative, both fiscally, morally and otherwise it even scares me. I'm getting even more so as I age. I am in the process of fighting "Big Brother" on so many fronts its consuming much of my free time.
What I try to do is listen and REASON to various points of view. I don't know everything and don't profess to. I ask questions & research to find TRUTH, which is hard to do. Why should I believe what you say? Are all you state correct & truthful? Maybe, in your eyes it is. I try to look into issues, far deeper. If you look into what I was doing was asking questions on subject matter I know little or nothing about.So, to assume that I'm not who I say I am, when you know nothing about me may not be true.
I'm also an instigator. Getting people a bit "hot under the collar" brings the real personality out. I guess I succeeded with you, didn't I.

if alcohol came up for a vote today, it wouldn't pass muster for its addictive properties and effects on health. I have never done any drugs, including marijuana. My concern it that it has medical benefits so I think medical marijuana should be licensed. I know someone who uses it (not in this state) for the pain associated with Crohn's Disease.

"if alcohol came up for a vote today, it wouldn't pass muster for its addictive properties and effects on health."

Conversely, if marijuana was just discovered in the rainforest today it would be hailed as a wonder plant and would pass muster. It was outlawed against the wishes of the AMA in 1937. Bob Woodward, a doctor and lawyer with the AMA testified in front of Congress: ""The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that marijuana is a dangerous drug." Source: http://www.jimsrepair.com/Essays/Why%20Congress%20Outlawed%20the%20Hemp%20Plant.htm

I admit that I know nothing of this stuff. Question though, because I do not know: Can the substance that is found in Marijuana be duplicated and placed into another form for medical use(tablet)? I have no idea. It seems that science can replicate most things now, why not the chemical that relieves pain? One would think this could be done and available through pharmacies.
Its amazing that someone as old as I am has never been interested in this. I must really be an "old f...".

Good question Fiscal C, Marinol (THC isomer) has been around for 30 years, but has been criticized as being much more expensive and less effective than natural marijuana. Marinol has also caused 4 deaths due to overdose/adverse drug reaction, while marijuana has not.

The real question is why should we be slaves to big pharma when they constantly introduce dangerous drugs like Vioxx and Darvocet that have to be recalled because they cause heart attacks? Patients should be allowed to grow their own medicine, if it saves money and is safer than pharmaceuticals.

We all know that the "synthetic marijuana" invented by NIDA (drugabuse.gov) has been a disaster. "Synthetic marijuana", or JWH-019, is the heart attack inducing drug currently sold at convenience stores and truck stops.

Kevin: Your quote" "We all know that the "synthetic marijuana" invented by NIDA (drugabuse.gov) has been a disaster. "Synthetic marijuana", or JWH-019, is the heart attack inducing drug currently sold at convenience stores and truck stops". is false. I didn't know it.
Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc has had no bearing on the way I live. Never did any drugs ('septin' those prescribed by MD. After surgeries I wouldn't use Perkoset, Morphine, etc). Haven't used tobacco or alcohol for well over 30 years (never a big part of my life anyway). By choice, at my age, I no longer do much off my property. I'm on my way out (every day in the Obits I see my age and younger). I'm retired, finally I'm in charge of the way I want to live...No boss to tell me what I have to do on a daily basis. Having lived through the 50's, 60's & 70's as a young person who was to dang busy raising a family, I could never understand why people "needed" or "wanted" this stuff I'm not passing any judgement on this issue. I don't have first hand knowledge and I don't want to. Going through life with "blinders" on, I guess. Kind of like same sex marriage. if it don't effect me, I don't care if its there. If someone pushes too hard and says I MUST accept it, then they have entered my domain, and I'll fight back. I can Tolerate something I know little about, I don't have to accept what others say I must.

@[FAKE]Fiscal Conservative, reducing cannabis to just THC, minimizes efficacy and greatly increases side effects.

Many people, including scientists, believe that Marinol/dronabinol lacks the beneficial properties of marijuana/cannabis, which contains more than 60 cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), thought to be the major anticonvulsant that helps multiple sclerosis patients, and cannabichromene (CBC), an anti-inflammatory which may contribute to the pain-killing effect of cannabis.

It takes over one hour for Marinol to reach full effect, compared to minutes for smoked or vaporized cannabis. Patients accustomed to inhaling just enough cannabis smoke to manage symptoms have complained of too-intense intoxication from Marinol's predetermined dosages. It’s also difficult to keep a pill down when one is nauseated. Many have also said that Marinol even produces a far more acute psychedelic effect than cannabis.

Cannabis vs Marinol http://tiny.cc/alxy0
Marinol (Dronabinol) = 1344 USD per month
Marijuana = practically free if you grow your own outdoors.

Cannabis is safe and the Queen of all herbs, with euphoria-inducing and life-preserving qualities . . . and need “euphoria” be a bad thing?

@[FAKE]Fiscal Conservative, even if you use nothing, prohibition negatively effects all of us, even you!

Most of us know that individuals who use illegal drugs are going to get high—no matter what, so why do you not prefer they acquire them in stores that check IDs and pay taxes? Gifting the market in narcotics to ruthless criminals, foreign terrorists, and corrupt law enforcement officials is seriously compromising our future.

Why do you wish to continue with a policy that has proven itself to be a poison in the veins of our once so "proud & free" nation? Even if you cannot bear the thought of people using drugs, there is absolutely nothing you, or any government, can do to stop them. We have spent 40 years and trillions of dollars on this dangerous farce; Prohibition will not suddenly and miraculously start showing different results. Do you actually believe you may personally have something to lose If we were to begin basing our drug policy on science & logic instead of ignorance, hate and lies?

"The question is NOT alcohol vs. pot" Then why are you comparing the two in your post?

Jack, the "alcohol is not intoxicating" argument is drunk logic and does not pass the sniff test. There are over 300 overdose deaths in the U.S. per year from alcohol and zero from marijuana. The CDC reports over 20,000 deaths in the U.S each year from alcohol due to physical effects such as liver damage, but the CDC does not have a category for marijuana deaths because the death rate from marijuana is nil. Before you rant about "smoking", know that marijuana edibles are more common in states where medical marijuana is permitted.

Nice try with your pro-booze agenda, but 0.08 will earn you a "driving while ability impaired" charge in some states because a BAC of 0.05 has been shown to double the risk of an accident. You fail at science, Jack.

How about one Puff, Jack? You limited the alcohol intake in your argument but maximized the marijuana consumption. Booze is not good on many levels.
Look at this Study, by Dr Henningfield, a former NIDA Staffer. Your beloved alcohol doesn't fair too well!!
Addictiveness of Marijuana - ProCon.org
www.procon.org/view.background-resource.php?resourceID=1492

@Jack, you owe the rest of us answers to the following questions:

#1. Why do you rejoice at the fact that we have all been stripped of our unalienable rights, leaving us totally subordinate to a corporatized, despotic government with a heavily armed and corrupt, militarized police force whose often deadly intrusions into our homes and lives are condoned by an equally corrupt and spineless judiciary?

#2. Why do you wish to continue to spend $50 billion a year to prosecute and cage your fellow citizens for choosing substances which are not more dangerous than those of which you yourself probably use and approve of, such as alcohol and tobacco?

#3. Do you honestly expect the rest of us to look on passively while you waste another trillion dollars on this ruinously expensive garbage policy?

#4. Why are you waging war on your own family, friends and neighbors?

#5. Why are you so complacent with the fact that our once 'proud and free' nation now has the largest percentage of it's citizenry incarcerated than any other on the entire planet?

#6. Why are you helping to fuel a budget crisis to the point of closing hospitals, schools and libraries?

Right, after I posted I realized that, depending on officer discretion, a BAC of 0.08 can earn someone a DWI, not just a DWAI.

Two drinks for most people IS intoxicating, although Jack probably has built up a big tolerance by now.

I am with Greg! I hope Medical Marijuana is only a stepping stone toward complete legalization.

Hey John, you can't prove any of your claims. 1) Dispensaries don't attract crime Source: "Exploring the ecological association between crime and medical marijuana dispensaries." Kepple NJ, Freisthler B. Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles 2) "the researchers found that fatal car wrecks dropped by 9% in states that legalized medical use " Source: Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption by D. Mark Anderson, Daniel I. Rees 3) Marinol has been proven safe by the FDA 4) Medical marijuana is not covered by any insurance plan or MassCare. 4) Nobody sells dispensary weed at a profit, because it is already at retail cost. VOTE YES.

John Bonney,Maybe you're a police officer, a prison guard, or a local/national politician. Possibly you're scared of losing employment, overtime pay, the many kickbacks, and those regular fat bribes. But what good will any of that do you once our society has followed Mexico over the dystopian abyss of dismembered bodies, vats of acid, and marauding thugs carrying gold-plated AK-47s with leopard-skinned gunstocks?

Kindly allow us to forgo the next level of your sycophantic prohibition-engendered mayhem.

Prohibition prevents regulation: legalize, regulate, and tax!

I have a Class B CDL; and the answer is, "Yes, it does apply in your personal car."
I concede that it may not make much sense, but it is indeed the case. Then again,
Mass. is the only state in which a FAILED breathalyzer test does not automatically
mandate a conviction in court of OUI / DWI. Mass. judges have "latitude".

Right and prescription drugs kill 20,000 Americans per year. Marijuana kills zero.

Kevin, you cannot say that marijuana doesn't kill. That's absurd.

Quoting JO "Kevin, you cannot say that marijuana doesn't kill. That's absurd"

Marijuana has never killed anyone from adverse drug reaction or overdose in all of recorded history.

" What I do know is that people can enjoy a beer or a glass of wine. They can stop at one drink and enjoy it. " Tell that to the 300 Americans that die from alcohol overdose each year. Seriously, have you never been to a bar after 10 PM? Almost everyone there has had more than "one drink"; some of them ten or more. "People smoke marijuana to get high." That seems to be your primary objection, although "people getting drunk" is no problem except for domestic abuse, fights, rapes, public indecency, etc. Your double standard is laughable. No wonder prohibition is losing ground to legalization. Your arguments are incredibly weak.

NOT. Marijuana use for certain illnesses is well documented for alleviating nausea and pain. Or would you want to people suffering just to please you? Are you that heartless?

R U speaking from experience?..Have you ever experienced "Too High?" Most folks who are "Too High" are "Too Paranoid" to drive or if they do..they drive alot more cautious than a person who has consumed alcohol. I can imagine what would happen if it were legalized..all the crazy testing that the liberal weeenies would come up with...

John Bonney, pull the other one: Alcohol (United States) is a factor in the following:

* 73% of all felonies * 73% of child beating cases * 41% of rape cases * 80% of wife battering cases * 72% of stabbings * 83% of homicides.

Researchers led by Professor David Nutt, a former chief drugs adviser to the British government, asked drug-harm experts to rank 20 drugs (legal and illegal) on 16 measures of harm to the user and to wider society, such as damage to health, drug dependency, economic costs and crime. Alcohol scored 72 out of a possible 100, far more damaging than heroin (55) or crack cocaine (54). It is the most harmful to others by a wide margin, and is ranked fourth behind heroin, crack, and methamphetamine (crystal meth) for harm to the individual.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/11/drugs_cause_most_harm

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that in the U.S. alone, an estimated 79,000 lives are lost annually due to "excessive" drinking. The study estimates that the overall cost of excessive drinking by Americans is $223.5 billion each year.

http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(11)00538-1/abstract

Many patients find relief from pain in the chemicals present in marijuana that do not get people high. These chemicals include the cannabinoids such as CBD.

Marinol does not contain CBD, it only contains the chemical that gets people high (THC).

"On its own, CBD is a potent antioxidant, reduces anxiety and has antipsychotic effects. It has been shown to reduce spasms and has pain relief, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects." Source: http://www.rm3.us/marijuana-as-medicine/major-cannabinoids/

I don't know. Have never used the stuff, so it has no bearing on my lifestyle. I also do not consume any form of alcohol, by choice. My reasons are simple for my decision. Long time ago I decided that I wanted to be in control of my actions, not any form of substance controling my actions. It was nothing but a decision I made that suited me, no one else.

You are right JustMe, our founding fathers grew hemp (or marijuana as the ONDCP calls it). Cannabis was approved as safe and effective by the AMA before it was outlawed by five men who had a business interest in making it illegal. Hearst changed the name from "cannabis" to "marihuana" and concocted racist stories to convince Congress to tax it out of existence. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was found unconstitutional in 1969, and was superceded by the CSA of 1970. Nixon appointed the Shafer commission to study marijuana in order to determine how it should be regulated. The Republican PA Gov Raymond Shafer recommended legalization, but was ignored by Nixon who was convinced that the J-E-W-S were conspiring against him. So here we are looking to overturn 75 years of nonsense, non-science, and bigotry with regards to the cannabis plant. Vote yes on #3.

Nixon Paranoid about the Jews?..lol...sounds like he has hittin' on the white house Bong.....Yes...5 businessmen did make it illegal and now we need 5 modern day businessmen to make it legal and a non issue once again.......the same folks who found the MTA unconstitutional..will have to stand up again...I bet the first person to run as president who has legalization on their platform..will probably win by a landslide. Once again..make it legal again.....and Tax it like Booze and cigs and the national debt will dwindle if the revenue is used properly....

"Nixon Paranoid about the Jews?..lol...sounds like he has hittin' on the white house Bong" No, he was on much more powerful stuff. "The book reports that the prescription drug, Dilantin, was given to Mr. Nixon in 1968 by Jack Dreyfus, the founder of the Dreyfus Fund and an enthusiastic promoter and user of the drug, after Mr. Dreyfus had dinner with Mr. Nixon and friends in Florida. Mr. Dreyfus said in the interview that he gave Mr. Nixon a bottle of 1,000, 100 milligram capsules, ''when his mood wasn't too good.'' He said Mr. Nixon scoffed when he said they should be prescribed by a doctor, and he later gave the president another 1,000 capsules. In the book, Mr. Dreyfus says Mr. Nixon told him: ''To heck with the doctor" Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/27/us/book-offers-peek-into-nixon-s-mind.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Quoting Shee G: "..and under the influence of ANYTHING is wrong"

Having a few beers is "wrong"? So are you for a return to alcohol prohibition? Don't tell John Bonney and Jack. They are probably out slamming a few down right now. MA repealed alcohol prohibition three years before the feds did.

"Parents are to medically medicate too huh?"

I'm not sure what "medically medicate" means, but if you were dying of cancer or ALS, you might consider some kind of meds to deal with it. "Role-Models" should be allowed to use anything that helps their condition, especially something safer than prescription drugs.

The American Medical Association has reported that "Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass,and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis." Source: REPORT 3 OF THE COUNCIL ON SCIENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH (I-09) Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes (Resolutions 910, I-08;921, I-08;and 229, A-09) (Reference Committee K)

Shee G, your beloved Prohibition­ has raised gang warfare to a level not seen since the days of alcohol bootleggin­g in the United States. How has that helped our kids?

Prohibition­ has creating a prison-for­-profit synergy with evil drug lords and terrorists. How has that helped our kids?

Prohibition­ has removed many of our cherished and important civil liberties. How has that helped our kids?

Prohibition­ has put many previously unknown and contaminate­d drugs on our streets. How has that helped our kids?

Prohibition­ has escalating Murder, Theft, Muggings, and Burglaries­. How has that helped our kids?

Prohibition­ has overcrowd­ing the courts and prisons, thus making it increasing­ly impossible to curtail the people who are really hurting and terrorizing­ others. How has that helped our kids?

Prohibition­ has evolved local street gangs into transnatio­nal enterprise­s with intricate power structures that reach into every corner of society, and with significant social and military resources at their disposal. How has that helped our kids?

ohj...and all the anti depressants that you councilors and shrinks are pumping into kids is beneficial...gimme a break......if you didn't find things wrong with pot..you'd be out of a job. Got some news for you..those kids who can't get hold of weed..and mind you..kids will be kids just like we were some years ago....they are now doing things like bath salts and other inhalants..much in the way the kids from our era were sniffing airplane glue and lacquer thinner..or...going into the supermarket and sucking the nitrous oxide out of aerosol whipped cream cans.....ever think that THC might be a little better than prozak or ritilin????

"and all the anti depressants that you councilors and shrinks are pumping into kids is beneficial..." Right, I refer to these experimental mood enhancers as "school shooter drugs". Also, DARE was a failure because it coincided with a big push by big pharma to get kids on ADD drugs. Just say no? Kids learn to spot hypocrisy at an early age. Three million American kids are currently fed ADD amphetamines (speed) by their school nurses and parents. "400+ chemicals"? Please show that all of these "400+ chemicals" are present in edible marijuana AND are psychoactive. "Often laced with heroin"? Please provide evidence that medical marijuana dispensaries "lace" their weed with anything. You must be talking about illegal street weed from the gangs, which we want to do away with. "so eager to legalize it have a lot of money to make from it." No, we just want the govt to stop treating adults like children and allow them to use a substance safer than alcohol. 700,000 arrests for simple possession every year is a waste of law enforcement resources. Right now, the police are too busy with minor pot crimes to solve the 1 million violent and 9 million property crimes that occur in the U.S. each year.

Mary, marijuana prohibition is rooted in hate, paranoia, racism, misinformation, half-truths, and outright lies—It's your right to disagree, just please try to remain factual..

There is no debate: Marijuana is absolutely safer than alcohol, tobacco, and all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, while Prohibition—a costly nightmare that enriches both criminals and corrupt politicians—is a threat to us all.

Legal or not, millions of citizens are already using marijuana. What many sane people are now proposing, is to take the criminal aspect out of it, collect revenues from its sale, and instead of spending billions of precious tax dollars on doomed-to-failure enforcement, put it's 'taxable income' to work for the whole community.

"I'll tell you the GOVT. grows some of the best pot in the world." Yes, the feds have been contracting with the U of Miss to supply medical marijuana to a small group of patients for about 30 years.

Abstract:

"Significant success in alleviating the symptoms of glaucoma is achieved by orally administering to a glaucoma sufferer a therapeutically effective, but sub-psychotropic dose of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the most active ingredient in marijuana. The most significant results are achieved when this form of treatment is combined with conventional types of anti-glaucoma treatment, although in a limited number of cases, THC therapy alone proved successful. Also disclosed is a dosage unit form for THC comprising a suitable dose of THC in combination with an innocuous diluent such as fructose."

Source: Tetrahydrocannabinol in a method of treating glaucoma - US Patent 4189491

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/4189491.html

How about we take your drivers licence, unless you allow us to search your house and body for booze every day?

A RECENT STUDY:

On 29-Nov-2011, a study was published by University of Colorado Denver Professor Daniel Rees and Montana State University Assistant Professor D. Mark Anderson showing states that have legalized medical marijuana experience fewer fatal car crashes compared to states that have not. The researchers suggest that there may be fewer fatal drunk driving accidents in those jurisdictions because more people may be choosing to smoke marijuana instead of making the more dangerous choice of consuming alcohol - both traffic fatalities and alcohol consumption declined.

The rate of fatal crashes in which a driver had consumed any alcohol dropped 12% after medical marijuana was legalized, and crashes involving high levels of alcohol consumption fell 14%. The study thoroughly accounted for other contributing factors regarding this decrease, such as changes in the number of miles traveled each year and new traffic laws.

"Our research suggests that the legalization of medical marijuana reduces traffic fatalities through reducing alcohol consumption by young adults," - Daniel Rees, professor of economics at the University of Colorado Denver who co-authored the study with D. Mark Anderson, assistant professor of economics at Montana State University.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uocd-ssm112911.php

Where did you read that patients wish to smoke while driving?

Weatherburn et al. (2003) argued “there are no solid grounds for asserting that cannabis intoxication is a major cause of road trauma”. Consideration needs to be given to evidence that THC serum concentration does not always denote impairment (Bedard et al. 2007). -- Laumon et al.’s (2005) conclusion corroborates these findings and reports that the role of cannabis in “fatal crashes is significantly lower than that associated with [any] positive blood alcohol concentration.”

Whilst Grotenhermen et al. (2007) do suggest that a concentration of 7-10 ng/ml is comparable to a blood alcohol content of 0.05%, Bedard et al. report that the “frequency of drinking and driving and the severe impact of alcohol on driving abilities are well beyond what has been shown with cannabis”.

* Relative risk of vehicle collision whilst under the 'acute' influence of cannabis is 1.92 whilst the relative risk of a similar vehicle accident with a blood alcohol content of 0.8 g/100 mL (the legal limit in many places) is 2.69.
http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e536

* A 2002 review of seven separate studies involving 7,934 drivers reported, "Crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes."
REFERENCE: G. Chesher and M. Longo. 2002. Cannabis and alcohol in motor vehicle accidents.

Do you also believe that only people who are on hunger strike should be allowed to drive?

* Eating and drinking is a factor in more accidents than DUI, cell phone use or texting while driving.
http://www.montlick.com/accident-blog/754-studies-show-eating-a-drinking-while-driving-may-be-a-greater-distraction-than-cell-phones

* The smokers of cigarettes - even if they do not smoke while driving - have an increased accident risk of 1.5

* Smoking cigarettes while driving Increases accident risk by a factor of 2.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2331646

* Alcohol-related accidents are so prevalent, an estimated 40 percent of all persons in the United States will be involved in a traffic mishap blamed on alcohol at some point in their lives.
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/drive/a/aa070297.htm

*** It is important to note that once marijuana is 'Legalized and Regulated' it will still be an offense to drive while impaired —DUI laws already apply to marijuana just like they do alcohol. The fact that being under the influence of a substance makes you a worse driver should have no bearing on its legality in general, otherwise we would be forced to hand the market in alcohol back to machine-gun tooting bootleggers.

Speaking of "Propaganda"....actually..I did some research on what Kevin is preaching here and I found there is as much CON propaganda as there is PRO propaganda.....Dispensaries get broken into as much a liquor stores do....proper security will solve that problem....I'm sure if it's legalized..it will be dispensed in package stores just like alcohol and Tobacco...and regulated in the same way...
I was going to end this by saying "Some of us have to live in 2012 rather than in the past" however in the past..per say...pot was legal and not such a disruption that it is now....

John, none of my sites are "pro marijuana propaganda". They are all written by doctors at the AMA, or researchers at major universities. The study showing that "Density of medical marijuana dispensaries was not associated with violent or property crime rates." was published by the National Institutes of Health (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22630790). I don't read High Times, nor did I cite High Times here. By making this unfounded and unsupported assertion, YOU are the one "spreading propaganda". I'm glad that you said that you are done posting, I'm tired of listening to your false claims.

Kevin, don't you think you know it all? There is evidence to support both sides. I believe marijuana should be legalized for medical use. You seem to have an answer for everything. Do you have a pot farm in your backyard? Based on your comments it sounds like you have some financial interest in this endeavor. Get over yourself.

John Bonney, all the evidence we have presented on this thread is from independent sources. Here's some more for you to continue to ignore:

The U.S. comprises 5 percent of the world's population yet uses 60 percent of the world's drugs. The prohibition on these drugs has been waged for 70 years and has cost $1.5 trillion.

Prohibition has cruelly ruined the lives of millions of peaceful and productive citizens while bankrolling the most evil people on the planet. Prohibition has stagnated the normal economy while allowing criminal enterprises to control an untaxed thriving underground economy worth over 300,000 million dollars. By it's emphasis on the eradication of marijuana/hemp we have also been denied the most workable and logical solutions to a number of growing problems, be they medicinal, industrial, chemical, or commercial.

According to the CATO Institute, ending prohibition would save an annual $41 billion of expenditure while generating an estimated $46 billion in tax revenues.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpapers/DrugProhibitionWP.pdf

Thanks to Prohibition, we now have a far higher percentage of our own citizens locked in cages than any other nation on the whole planet. Apart from the fact that these extra prisoners are not contributing economically to society, it also costs 50,000 dollars per annum to incarcerate them. Additionally, their families often go on government assistance, leaving the average tax payer to pick up the bill. Their kids may also be taken into care, or raised by foster parents—again with our money. Now add to all this: the court costs, jail costs, and the salaries of all those people that have to deal with the enforcement of prohibition—like police officers, judges and public defenders—and you'll start to get a fair idea of why "Black Thursday" (October 24, 1929) happened during the period of another of our great experiments: Alcohol Prohibition (1919-1933)

* The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world.

* 743 adults incarcerated per 100,000 population at year-end 2009.

* 2,292,133 adults were incarcerated in federal and state prisons, and county jails at year-end 2009—approximately 1% of US adults.

* Additionally, 4,933,667 adults at year-end 2009 were on probation or parole.

* In 2009, 7,225,800 adults were under correctional supervision (probation, parole, or incarcerated)—Approximately 3.1% of adults in the U.S. resident population.

Chart Of The Day: Federal Drug Prisoners
http://tinyurl.com/csfvb9n

John, for God's sake wake up! The prisons are bursting, the police are corrupt, most of us are not even safe in our own homes anymore, while the whole country/planet is on the verge of a total social and financial collapse.

During alcohol prohibition, all profits went to enrich criminals and corrupt politicians. Young men died every day on inner-city streets while battling over turf. A fortune was wasted on enforcement that could have gone on education, etc. On top of the budget-busting prosecution and incarceration costs, billions in taxes were lost. Finally, the economy collapsed. Sound familiar?

Prohibition causes massive crime and suffering, causes government/police corruption, causes America to have the highest prison population of any country in the history of the planet, causes Americans to lose all their rights and all their true core-values, causes the waste of trillions in taxpayer dollars, causes wars, violence and death (at home and abroad), perpetuates racism, causes America to be hated by other countries, and funds both criminals and terrorists.

Quoting JO: "Kevin, don't you think you know it all?" I know more about this subject than the other posters Daniel, Mary, Jack, or John. If you are asserting that I think I know the meaning of life or all of the secrets of the universe, I don't. Only God does.

"You seem to have an answer for everything." That's because I have spend 20 years researching the subject. "Do you have a pot farm in your backyard?" No. "Based on your comments it sounds like you have some financial interest in this endeavor. " No, one of my parents lives in MA and has cancer. That's my primary interest. "Get over yourself." I'm not sure exactly what that would entail. Please be more specific. If you want me to stop posting, that is not going to happen, because your bullying tone only encourages me.

thanks for your honesty. As a retired police officer you faced a moral dilemma but I think you made the right choice. I see so many cynical and judgmental comments above but appreciate when someone gives their individual experience. (I've never smoked pot or done drugs).

The majority of us here are glad you survived!

Sixteen states, plus the District of Columbia, have passed laws allowing medical marijuana. A 2010 survey — also from Gallup — recorded 70 percent support for medical marijuana.

Here are various older polls showing at least 70% support for medical marijuana:

72 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "Adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it."
POLL: AARP
DATE: November 2004
Sample Size: 1,706

80 percent of respondents supported allowing adults to "legally use marijuana for medical purposes."
POLL: Time Magazine/CNN Poll
DATE: October 2002
Sample Size: 1,007

70 percent of respondents answered affirmatively to the question, "Should the use of medical marijuana be allowed?"
POLL: Center for Substance Abuse Research
DATE: January 2002
Sample Size: N/A

73 percent of respondents supported allowing doctors "to prescribe marijuana."
POLL: Pew Research Center Poll
DATE: March 2001
Sample Size: 1,513

So are you saying that the same people don't spend their EBT card money on illegal weed now? At least if they buy the govt regulated weed, it will be cheaper than the illegal cartel weed. The price of an ounce in Denver is now less than half of what it was before 2009, when the dispensaries opened.

"The country is on a steady decline, too bad!"

Weed used to be legal before 1937, did we start our decline back then? Your statement is similar to what the alcohol prohibitionists said when we were talking about re-legalizing alcohol in the early 1930's. Did the repeal of alcohol prohibition lead to this "decline" of yours? Please provide detailed info about the decline and the cause of it. It sounds like propaganda.

Daniel F. Devine, if you're worried about where your tax money goes then look no further than the failed policy of prohibition.

Prohibition has helped fill our Prisons and Jails to capacity. Violent criminals, murderers, rapists and child molesters are released early to create space for so called 'drug offenders'. Half of court trial time and also a huge chunk of police officers time is pointlessly wasted. Enormous untaxed profits from illegal drugs fund multi-national criminal empires which bribe law enforcement authorities and spread corruption faster than a raging bush fire. Prohibition takes violent criminals and turns them into multi-billionaires whilst corrupting even entire countries, including our own. Our drug laws are also funding the Taliban and al-Qaeda whose illegal opium profits allow them to buy weapons and pay it's fighters more than $300 a month, compared with the $14 paid to an Afghan policemen.

Alcohol prohibition in the US ran from 1919 to 1933 - Now google 'The Great Wall Street Crash' and see when that happened!

To support prohibition is such a strange mind-set. In fact, It's outrageous insanity! --Literally not one prohibitionist argument survives scrutiny. Not one!

I agree with most of what you have posted here A_Banks, and as a nurse you might be interested in a Canadian study that showed the health care/social costs of three popular recreational drugs per user per year: Alcohol $165.11, Tobacco $822.26, Marijuana $20.50 Source: The costs of substance abuse in Canada 2002. Ottawa: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

just off topic for a paragraph..funny you say this...even here in town...the people rarely show up to town meeting to exercise their right to vote...and when something gets passed at town meeting that hits them in their pocketbook....they want to know.."Why it's costing them".....DUH!

"The longer you keep them in office, the more they will abuse their power and YOU!!!!!!!" I agree, Fiscal Conservative.

Congress creates a new crime on average once a week, and it's not just about drugs.

How about David McNab, who was arrested for violating the Lacey Act by importing lobster tails that were improperly packed in clear plastic bags, rather than the cardboard boxes allegedly required under Honduran law? McNab served eight years in a U.S. prison, even though the Honduran government informed the court that the regulation requiring cardboard boxes had been repealed.

We have 2.3 million people in jail in this country, and I want to reduce that number without letting the robbers, rapists, and other violent criminals out of jail. Marijuana legalization is a good start towards that end.

Marijuana legalization is a "fiscally conservative" policy

Just for the sake of asking....why is cannabis considered a drug? Is Alcohol considered a drug?....Tobacco considered a drug? I bet it was those 5 guys back in the 30's who initially made cannabis illegal...who are behind all of this!

"drugs are harmful and they have dangerous side effects" So you are for banning all prescription drugs, Richard Lunt? They kill 20,000+ Americans each year.

Marijuana kills zero from adverse drug reaction or overdose.

I am not a big advocate of drugs, legal or illegal. I, do, take one drug for Cholesterol and I am aware of the side effects of taking the drug. I am monitored every 6 months for a rise of Liver enzymes throughout my body. In over 10 years, no problem and the results of taking the med have outweighted the possible side effects. That said, Kevin, you have researched this topic. I commend you for that. If there is a REAL need for Marijuana to be used for medical purposes, maybe, something could be done. My fear is the availability could lead to abuse. I have a family member who abuses prescription meds, actually hooked on them. Whether legal or illegal the chance that abuse is real. Now, my family member is an adult, able to decide for themselves. If this person is going to abuse, after getting help, there isn't much we can do. On the other hand, it is our responsibility to protect children from any abuse. How do we do it? Keep it unavailable to them (with no luck). The solution to a problem is never easy. Many think they have the answer, I know I don't, and I admit it. Yeah, Kyle thinks I'm a fake, let him. He doesn't know me or the sincerity I have dealing with issues I know little about. I try to listen to BOTH sides, still don't know what is right for the general population. I know what is the correct answer for me, but, that doesn't answer the question.. Legal or Illegal?? honestly don't know.

Quoting Fiscal Conservative: "My fear is the availability could lead to abuse."

It's already available to anyone that wants it from illegal drug dealers. Alcohol regulation isn't prefect, but it is better than it was during 1919-1933 when kids drank poison bootleg liquor.

" I have a family member who abuses prescription meds, actually hooked on them."

I'm sorry to hear that. I have one friend that died from that prescription stuff and another who had to go to rehab after an 18 month stint. I have never had any friends who had any serious issues with marijuana, and some of them have been using it moderately for over 20 years.

"On the other hand, it is our responsibility to protect children from any abuse. How do we do it?"

Keep them busy doing productive things and tell them that any of their peers that make drugs their #1 priority and/or are in trouble with the police are not intelligent enough to warrant their time or friendship.

"Yeah, Kyle thinks I'm a fake, let him. He doesn't know me or the sincerity I have dealing with issues I know little about."

Kyle messaged me and said that he wanted to apologize to you for misreading your posts, but couldn't log back in to tell you himself.

Cheers.

Thank you for your well wishes and most importantly, your compassion. It speaks volumes about your love of humanity!

Generally, Democrats are better than Republicans on personal liberty issues and Republicans are better than Democrats on being fiscally conservative.

Romney has neither of the good qualities of either a Democrat or a Republican.

To see how the parties should behave, check out the "two Santa Claus theory":

http://capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/bruce-bartlett/1701/jude-wanniski-taxes-and-two-santa-theory